Apparatus for production of zinc oxid.



W. du H. SIMM. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCTION 0F ZINC OXID.

Arruoulon FILED 00T. 1, 1907.

n 946,688. I Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

FIG l 2 `BHEIITS--SHIZIIT 1.

FIG.2

L .27 G .v wry-raies w. & H. SIMM.` APPARATUS FOB. PRODUCTION 0F ZINCOXID.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.1, 1907.

946,688. Patented Ja1L18, 1910. f FIG I 3 2 sHBnTs-sHnn-T 2.

L l x fz 2f;

MQW

lrJsD clarion.

wrpmm SIMM AND Hamm? snm, or ronrrco, naar," PnEsco'r, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS ron Lrao'iiuc'rro-1a' or zINc oxm.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that weHWiLmAM SIMM and HENRY SIMM, subjects of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, reeiding at Portico,

-near Prescot, in the county of Lancaster,

En land, .have invented certain new and uscful A paratus for theProduction of Zinc Oxici)(for which a atent has been aplied for in GreatBritain, No. 21,787, bearmg date October 3, 1906), of which thefollowing is a specification.

IThis invention consists in an improved apparatus for the rapid andcheap produce The apparatus illustrated is desigual for -two furnaceswhich may be worked together or separately. Each furnace consists ofl awell 1 formed in a fire-brick setting 2 one side or end of which isyrovided with a vent for th e 'purpose of c eaning ,out the well. Thisvent is normally closed by a plug 3 which may consist of a fircbrickluted in. Across the setting are fixed two carbon slabs 4 and 5 whichform the electrodes and also form the sidesof the furnace proper. Theseslabs are set in brickwork at their ends and these ends protrude at oneend of the furnace so as to enable clamp connections or terminals 6 tobe fixed to -them for the purpose of securing the ends of ably a railedtrack 10 as illustrated is used in order to facilitate the changing andsetting in position of the furnaces in relation y Specification otLetters Patent. Application Med October l, 19.07. Serial No. 395,381.

` and 15.

to the other part ofthe apparatus hereinafter described.

The electrical connectioi-is 'and necessary electrical instruments foreach furnace are diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3. The currentused is an alternating one.

The bus-bars are represented by 11 and 12.

Patented J an. 18, 19,10.

The connections are so arranged that either or both the furnaces can berendered inoperative at will. `For this purpose each furnace has aseparate circuit which can be opened or closed .by means of its switch13, which is preferably of the double pole type. Each circuitv isrepreselited by the lines 14 The ends ofthe electric conductors of thecircuit are attached to the carbon slabs 4. and 5 respectively by meansof the clamps (3 as before stated. ln the circuit 14 is placed a.choking coil or its equivalent represented by the'spiral 16, alsolanammcter represented by 17. A voltmeter represented by 18V is arranged ineach circuit. by

a. shunt. ln the other part of the ap )aratus dis arranged a hood 19 foreach furnace, which is suspended so as to leave sullcient clearancebetween its lower edge and the furnace top when the latter is beneathit, lfor aliberal su )ply of air all around. Each hood is carriedI by atrunk flue 2() which is fixed at. one end to a chamber 2l forming thecondenser and collector of the zinc oxid.l Each hood has an opening suchas 22 Fig. 1 therein which leads into a. vbranch flue-23 Figs. 2 and 3,connected to the niainflueg2tl. Each flue 23 is fitted with a doorordamper such as 24 Figs. 1 and 2 provided with a handle 25 by which theopening 22 may be closed at will. Above each hood is formed a hopper 26for feeding the furnace with the charge t0 be reduced, the hopper beingprovided with a valve or door such as 27 which is preferably hinged at28 and kept closed normally by means of .the weighted arm 29.

At the junction of the trunk 20 with the chamber 21 there is mounted afan 30 preferably in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. It is fixed uponthe shaft 31 which is carried in a bearing 32 fixed by a cross bar 33 atone end and at the other in a bearing bracket 34 shown fixed to the endof the trunk 20. The outer end of this shaft may carry a belt pulleysuch as 35 for driving the fan or lalternatively an electric motor maybe ixedso as to drive it directly.

and the The fan 30 is for the purpose of drawing the zinc vapor from thefurnace when the latter is in operation and for regulatin the draft. Thecondensing chamber 2l is tted with baille screens facing the fan. In thedrawing these screens are shown as consisting of fiat-surfaced bars 3Gspaced a art in vertical rows, the bars beiner incline transversely andrun from one side to the other of the chamber. These bars may be made ofany suitable material or materials, roughened wood, frames covered withmuslin or thc like being suitable. The chamber is provided with anoutlet orifice 37 between which and the screens is preferably fixed apartition 38 somewhat es illustrated. Another suction fan may be fixedat the outlet orifice. The door for discharging the condenser of theoxid collected is represented by 39.

In operating the apparatus, a furnace setting is first wheeled intoposition under the hoods 19 and the necessary electrical connectionsmade. The carbon electrodes of the furnace are'then connected togetherby a layer of powdered charcoal preparatory to starting the furnace, ashereinbefore stated. The effect of this is to obtain an incandescent bedimmediately the current is switched on and the charcoal slightly resseddown. The charge can then be fed irectlyI into a live furnace by whichtheefficiency of the apparatus is increased. The charge is prepared bymixing the ore or other substances containing the zinc in a broken upstate with suchfmaterials as salt cake or common salt andslaked lime orwith borate of lime. The mixture cornes into the furnace through thehopper 26 and immediately comes into contact with a large surface ofincandescent carbon by which the zinc is immediately volatilized. Thevolatilization of, the zinc is quickened by'suitably varying theproportions of the ingredients of the flux used greatest efficiencyl isthus more evenly maintained. The relativev proportions of the salt cakeor common salt to the lime can be advantageously varied from five to twoto about equal proportions according to the quality of the material tobe treated and with a given strength of current the Voltage can beadvantageously ke t as high as possible. The proportions of t e flux tothe material treated will Vary from two and -a half to twent -five percent. according to the character o the said material. The fan 30 rojectsthe zinc vapor against the baffles or bars 36 by which it is thrown downand it can then be collected at the door 39. Any other vapors resultingfrom thereduction of the material containing the zinc are blown out, atthe orifice 37 and the clearing out of the condenser of such foreignvapors can be facilitated by the use of a suction fan at .the outletorifice as before stated.

We claim as our invention 1. In apparatus for producing zinc oxidelectrically, the combination of a condensing chamber having suitablebattles, a hood connected therewith, and a suction fan for drawing thefumes into the hood and discharging them into the condenser, with anelectrical furnace removably located beneath the hood and suitabledetachable electric connections forthe furnace, said connectionsyincluding a choking coil.

2. In apparatus for producing zinc oxid electrically, the combination ofa condensing chamber having suitable baffles, a hood connectedtherewith, and a suction fan for drawing the fumes into the hood anddischarging them into the condenser, with an electric furnace removablylocated beneath the hood, a space being provided between the bottom ofthe hood and the to of the furnace whereby air for the supplying of oxyen is freely admitted on a level with the eating material carried by thefurnace. In testimon of which we hereunto set our hands an seals in thepresence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SIMM. 1.. 8.] HENRYsIMM. ina] lVitnesses WALTER H. BARTON,RIDLEY Y. lURQUHAa'r.

